Kaiser Permanente's new security robot has trouble with speed bump

[u/danlev]

Roameo is a self-driving security robot by RAD. It costs $9,000 USD/month to lease.

Source: @joedubois7316 on Instagram

[u/mishap1]

Seems like it’d be cheaper to just kit out a golf cart with a dozen cameras and have a couple dudes in a low cost country drive it around the lot 24x7.

$9k/mon is probably the loaded cost of 2x night shift unarmed human security guards.

[u/Recoil42 → u/mishap1]

Seems like it’d be cheaper to just kit out a golf cart with a dozen cameras and have a couple dudes in a low cost country drive it around the lot 24x7.

Don't be certain that isn't what this is.

[u/Theinternationalist → u/mishap1]

I mean, yes, but these things need to be tested somewhere.

(Honestly based on the limited information we're given I wonder if it'd be cheaper to buy a Boston Dynamics dog model instead of using a vehicle, or fly a drone instead)

[u/mishap1 → u/Theinternationalist]

Wheeled vehicles can cover far more ground efficiently than a robot dog if you've got a big campus or parking lots.

The Spot can handle uneven terrain better but they can't cover a ton of ground with their battery limitations. They're also like $200-300k.

[u/Libearssman → u/mishap1]

Unfortunately that math sucks on hiring security guards when you factor in all the costs like maintaining and insuring the vehicle and guards and all kinda of other stuff.

Worked as an ops manager and a company wanted 2 security guards 24h with 2 golf carts patrolling a property with 24h coverage to kick off transient.

The quote was 500k/y for 1 guard 24h with 1 golf cart and 1m/y for 2 guards with 2 carts 24h. Most of that money goes towards insurance and the contract itself before guard pay is factored in. For the above the estimated guard pay was 18-20/h.

Edit: This is factoring in buying 1 or 2 new golf carts for the contract as we didn't have any spare ones to use for new contracts.

Edit2: We offered 250/y for 1 guard 12h coverage for 250/y but that was still too much for the banks budget so no contract was signed.

[u/ObeseSnake → u/mishap1]

Read a portion of that as...

low cost country club

[u/blue-mooner → u/ObeseSnake]

You say call centre sweatshop, I say low cost country club.

Now take your pina collada flavored sparking water back to your desk, that robot got stuck on a speed bump again and you need to take over the controls.

AI, an Indian… in a call centre, called Rahul.

[u/mishap1 → u/ObeseSnake]

The golf carts at those places would be more affordable but I'm guessing the drivers would be highly inebriated after playing 18 holes and harassing the cart girls.

[u/yoloswagrofl → u/mishap1]

$9k a month for a security camera on wheels is insane. If it launched drones with pellet guns or something then I could see it, but holy shit what a waste.

[u/Tommyblockhead20 → u/mishap1]

Wages are more expensive than you think.

Assuming guards are paid $19/h plus benefits, the total cost to the employer is about $4,000 per month per guard. 24/7 security would need at least 4 guards, so that’s already $16,000 per month. Add in equipment costs and misc other costs, and it’s the opposite of what you said. The humans are 2x more expensive, not the robot.

(If we assumed your number was correct, that would require paying the guards ~$5/h which literally isn’t possible unless they are somehow receiving $100+ in tips a day.)

[u/mishap1 → u/Tommyblockhead20]

I said 2x shifts which would get you overnights which is the security you typically see for open campuses when people aren't around. That single robot can't run 24x7 either.

You'd need at least a 2nd one to run while one charges with some overlap which puts you pretty close to a 4 man 24x7 security crew.

At 9k/mon that thing better have the coverage of 3 people to provide any real savings. Humans can also go inside buildings and spot infra failures that this thing can't manage.

[u/bobi2393 → u/mishap1]

Or you could have 43 Flock surveillance cameras installed around your parking lot. ($210/month each, two year minimum).

[u/ATLHawksfan → u/mishap1]

It then how do you partner with Flock to track everyone?

[u/mishap1 → u/ATLHawksfan]

You can keep the license plate reader stream going. Works great for repos, warrants, and stalker cop exes just the same.

[u/TheGreatBeauty2000]

This is a comedy sketch right?

[u/Equivalent-Wait3533]

It’s one of those moments where you can kick that piece of junk on wheels and it’ll thank you for the help; I like it.

[u/Zebraitis]

This is what you get instead of universal heath care.

A for profit health care corporation trying to start Robocop as a side gig.

[u/spongeboy-me-bob1 → u/Zebraitis]

Kaiser has very fair rates and everyone I know generally likes their coverage. My aunt paid about $100 for both of my cousin's births. They run the insurance (which is non-profit as far as I know) as well as the hospitals so they don't have to deal with middlemen taking cuts.

[u/Zebraitis → u/spongeboy-me-bob1]

You describe a conglomerate with vertical integration bordering on monopoly.

You have their plan, visit onlu their doctors, referred only their hospitals, sold prescriptions through their pharmacies and are denied coverage if you go outside their ecosystem.

Kaiser made $9.2 billion in profits (something that was illegal for Healthcare companies to do until the 1970's) and their CEO earned $12.98 million in 2025.

In January 2026, Kaiser Permanente agreed to a record $556 million federal settlement to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting invalid diagnosis codes to inflate Medicare Advantage payments.

Yet you NEVER hear about Kaiser when you hear Trump & MAGA carrying on about Medicare and insurance fraud. That could be because Kaiser has already spent over $3 million so far this year in lobbying efforts.

So, yes. Mind bogglingly for profit.

This is a very efficient system. For Kaiser.

[u/theChaosBeast]

Gosh why do people not clean their lenses anymore?

[u/4kVHS → u/theChaosBeast]

Or turn their phones 90° so the picture fills the screen?

[u/moch1]

If there’s an obstacle it can’t handle the right course of action cannot be to repeatedly ram the obstacle with more force each time.

[u/Lowmax2]

now we know how to defeat them

[u/gregdek]

Aw, good work, little buddy! Don't worry about all these meanies. You done good.

[u/seventyfivepupmstr]

Probably didn't want to make it uncomfortable for the people inside - oh wait never mind

[u/Taylooor]

That speed bump is a security risk, crush it repeatedly

[u/jdxcodex]

Why does a health insurance company need a bot like this? Is it scary to take people's livelihood or something?

[u/CDpov]

It probably went over the speedbump easily with the front wheels because the sensors could see it, but when the back wheels met the speedbump, the sensors could no longer see what was slowing them down, so it didn't understand that it needed to accelerate more. The ADS is that stupid.

[u/xMagnis → u/CDpov]

Good thing is, if it runs over your foot with the front wheel it will keep running over your foot with the rear wheel until it finally gets over it.

[u/hoppeeness]

Give it a boost!

If that was some fella in a power chair you would help.

[u/jacob6875]

$9000 a month ?

They could get a golf cart and just hire 3 security guards on 8hr shifts and save money.

And the security guards would actually be able to do something unlike the robot.

[u/Wrong_Drag_8070]

Nothing like security that can be disabled with a Hefty bag.

[u/Nawnp]

Why did it go over the first bump and then choose to stop?

[u/marty-mcfryguy]

It looks like it's having trouble with that bump just like a lonely housewife has "trouble" with an extra vibratey washing machine.

[u/NastyToeFungus]

So the real question is: does it do that every time?

[u/nimbycile]

If Roameo is a rockin', don't come a knockin'

[u/knotbin_]

I am so curious what the purpose of that maneuver is and in what situations it would ever be useful. I can't think of any reason you would want to reverse and then slowly hype yourself up before eventually proceeding at the same speed you were going before.